Why?
by AlexArmin36
Summary: Who is more cruel, humans or Titans? And if so, why are they cruel? And finally, if your friend has already fallen to the darkness, what lengths do you go to pull them back to the surface? In Armin's case, is it even worth it? Armin and his friend says it does, but the future begs to differ.
1. Special thanks

**This short story was inspired by a story named Power to Strive by ii-Phoenix-ii. It's a story where the cast of Attack on Titan was forced by Candy to watch all the episodes of the Anime Attack on Titan. The idea and premise of the story struck my soul so hard, a story just came up and bit my ass begging to be released. So here it is.**

 **Of course, my spin on this story I wrote would be wildly different. But if you look deeper, the inspiration can be seen clearly.**

 **So sit back and enjoy my beloved reader…**


	2. Chapter 1

"So, what the hell is going on?" Eren asked his friend. Nobody knows what to say or what to do. How could they?

It was simply another day at the office, just a simple Saturday Day off where the students can simply take a day off and rest their weary souls after weeks of soul-crushing training. Being a titan-killer requires tremendous amount of skill only the hardest training can provide, so many life have been moulded and hardened by the years of the military training.

But here they are, standing at their training field in the middle of the night, looking into a big gap just floating right in the middle of the fucking air. Like seriously, you gotta be real fucking tripping to see a large slice of nothingness suspended by two ribbons floating above the ground without any backdrop for any light to bounce off the surface to create such picture.

Connie Springer, the resident joke-meister rubbed his eyes at the weird aberration. "Guys, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

All of the crew nodded at the bald-headed jokester's remark. "What is going on? I haven't drunk anything at all this whole night!" Said a freckled young woman. Her angelic companion begs to differ.

"Ymir, it's not nice to lie" Krista said, still holding her friend's hand. "I mean, a bottle of wine doesn't appear out of nowhere and empty in your hand"

"Ach Krista, just the goody-two shoes whom I love" said Ymir. "A little drop never hurts a soul or two!"

"Unless you spiked our drinks just a few hours earlier, I don't think we are all dreaming"

"Or tripping balls"

The remark from the baldy elicits a small chuckle from everybody, hence putting them at ease, albeit for a moment.

Armin cleared his throat, grabbing everybody's attention. "So is everybody accounted for?"

"We should do roll-call, see how many we have here" Mikasa said behind her red scarf. Armin nodded. "From the left to the right, begin!"

"Connie Springer!"

"Sasha Braus!"

"Ymir"

"Krista Lenz!"

"Annie Leonhart"

"Reiner Braun"

"Bertolt Hoover"

"Mina Carolina"

"Thomas Wagner"

"Marco Bott!"

"Jean Kirchstein"

Armin nodded. "Good, the gang's all here."

"So Armin, you know what's going on here? All I heard was that some weird shit happened at the field." The hulking blonde warrior said to his smaller comrade.

"I want to know too!"

Everybody's body stiffened at the new voice in the fray. "Sir!"

Keith Shadis, the brutal instructor of the boot camp as well as a veteran warrior of the Survey Corp strode into view. He looked at Armin and nodded. "Good call of you to do the roll-call. Is there anybody else here other than present?"

Armin nodded. Despite his brutality Armin has grown comfortable of his presence. "Yes sir. We're the only one here are I intend on keeping it like that."

"And why is that private Arlet?"

Armin gulped. "Sir, I know this may sound stupid, crazy even. But you have to believe me."

Shadis glared at the young blonde "You better, if your excuse was good I might overlook this" He tightened his grip upon the bottle in his left hand much to the recruit's horror. Feeling the weight of the world on his shoulder, Armin gulped and opened his mouth to speak.

"While we were having our small party there, I suddenly heard a voice in my head telling me to grab my friends and head over to the field as soon as possible. The voice insisted on my cooperation, so I was naturally curious."

"A voice in your head?" Shadis said in disbelief, the expression on his face was mirrored by his comrade. While Connie wants to say something about this he knew better than to speak out of turn when the instructor's here. Shadis's glare intensified at the young teenager, whom was literally sweating for his dear life. "Are you sure you're not drunk?"

Despite his best effort Connie can't help but to giggle, which action soon was emulated by Sasha, Mina and Jean. A glare from both Mikasa and Keith was enough to shut both of them up.

"I'm not drunk sir." Armin replied. "If I was drunk, then surely everybody here is drunk if we can see this strange gap floating in mid-air."

Shadis didn't budge, but he agrees to the youngster's logic. Armin was smart as a whip and like it or not he wouldn't do anything rash unless it was absolutely necessary, such as this one. The gap's appearance too solidifies his claim.

Keith eyed the gap behind the recruit's body suspiciously. Could it be a mirage? He did train these kids very hard. But if so, he too would be delirious in order to see this mirage. It looked way too realistic to be a mirage. Could it be a trick of the moonlight? Or could it be a clever prank devised by another hidden recruit?

It doesn't look like a prank. It doesn't look like it was a piece of canvas hanging in the air by strings; his eyes would've spotted them right now. Plus, there wasn't even a true edge nor texture of said gaps, as if the fabric of reality was ripped off and this is the aftermath. The edge seems too coalesced with the environment, its shimmering black border undulating like a snake between the ribbons holding the gap wide open.

"Did anything happen yet?"

Armin shook his head. "No sir. The voice in my head simply said that we must enter this gap by ourselves and help him out a bit. He also said that if we alert the authorities he would blast the walls down."

"Blast the wall down? Why do you think he'll do it?' Jean asked. "Are you sure you didn't go insane or something?"

" **He will if you motherfuckers didn't get in fool!** "

Everybody almost jumped from their skin from the new voice. It came from the gap itself. Keith took the initiative and strode forward. "Who are you?"

" **A friend from times to come! Hurry! Get in and I'll explain everything Shadis!** "

"He knows your name sir?" Eren asked.

" **Of course I know Eren! Now I need all of your help! Armin need y'all niggas! C'mon!** "

"What is a nigga?" Asked Mina to Thomas, sadly the latter one shook his head.

With a grunt, Eren took a step forward and jumped straight into the gap, surprising everybody as he disappeared completely. "Eren!" yelled Mikasa.

"No stop!" said Armin, but it was too late; Mikasa passed the young blonde tactician and jumped right into the gap.

"Are you guys okay?!" Armin yelled. To his relief Eren's voice came out of the gap.

"Yeah I'm fine! Guys check this ou-ouch!"

"Don't go jumping around like that Eren!'

Jean can't help but chuckle at this turn of event. "Always the suicidal bastard."

"Sir?" Thomas said. "What should we do?"

"Follow me!" Shadis yelled suddenly before jumping straight into the gap. Everybody stared at their instructor's action.

"Did he just-"

Reiner has a dangerous look in his eyes. Before long he too jumped into the gap.

"Wait for me Reiner!" Yelled Bertolt. He too joined his friend.

Annie sighed; she too jumped into the gap.

"Count me in!" Connie yelled before jumping in.

"Wait Connie!" Sasha said before following her friend's footstep.

Mina and Thomas looked at each other uneasily before nodding together. They went into the gap together, afraid to go in first.

Jean gawped at his friend's action. "Like a bunch of lemmings" He said.

"Well…" Krista said. Ymir was having none of it.

"We're going in!" Ymir yelled before picking up Krista in a bridal carry and running headlong to the gap, all the while cackling like a witch.

"EEEEEEEE!" Shrieked Krista as she was carried away by her knight in Ymir skin.

Jean gritted his teeth. "You better have a good explanation for this whatever you are! Come Marco!"

"Eh?" Marco said, but it was too late. Jean too went into the gap. Marco shook his head in resignation before following his friend's action.

Armin was the last on standing. He was shocked on how fast everybody just up and left him behind to jump into a questionable hole. What would guarantees their safety once they crossover? What evidence does he have to prove that this is not a trap?

"Ah, screw it"

He too jumps into the gap.

" **Took ya long enough. I pulled in some mad favours from girl's way high so you better made the most out of it!** " The voice said, oddly coming from the black poles affixed to the corner of the room. Armin shook his head as the sensation of the travel starts to ebb away.

" **This room will be your home for the next 12 hours or so. I've already did the paperwork and some legwork so that y'all motherfuckers won't be missed for the duration of said times.** "

"Who are you? What do you want?!" Eren yelled at the pole at the corner of the room, just beside a large rectangular screen affixed to the wall. It seems that the poles projected the voice's voice.

" **I'll explain everything soon! Now take a seat will ya?** "

Eren looks like he wants to say more, but Keith's glare and Mikasa's hand was enough for him to shut up and sit down. Everybody followed suit as they sat down upon the long couch.

"Wow this is comfy!" said Mina as she wriggled a bit at her seat.

" **Ya like it? I got this from an engineer! Goddamn she was a good one at that. Everybody comfy now?** "

"Yes!"

"Yeah"

"umhum"

"Best I can be."

"Now will you tell us what are we here for?" asked Keith to the screen where they were naturally facing.

"gah!" Krista said as she sat down upon the couch. She stood up to see that at the area where her ass just fell down there was a small black rectangular object with buttons neatly arranged upon the surface.

" **Krista ya got the remote! Haha! Praise that ass!** "

Krista's face became red as she placed the remote onto the small table in front of her.

" **Now if you look at the corner of this room we have each a black pole. It is simply a sick-ass stereo system so that you can hear whatever is going on in that screen. That screen is the TV, but the only program you all be watching would be the future.** "

"The future!?" Eren yelled suddenly. "Did I kill all the titans?"

" **Of course you did! There's a reason your meme nickname is the Angry German Kid!** "

The news shocked the recruits as well as the instructor themselves. Eren however grinned wildly. "See? I told you! I fucking told you I'll kill all the titans!"

"Bullshit" jean shoots back, which made Eren, live up to his nickname.

"What did you say horse-face?!"

"Bullshit. How can you kill all the titans anyway? There were too many! Plus, how can we be sure whatever the voice said was true anyway?"

"You-"

"SIT DOWN!" Keith yelled, scaring the bickering recruit silly. "We're here for some serious business here and all you are doing here is bickering like a bunch of limp-dicked schoolboys!"

"YES SIR" Jean and Eren said simultaneously before sitting down, not before giving each other a death glare.

" **Thank you sarge. Now as I was saying, you will be here watching the future of our dear friend Armin Arlet here through this screen. I'll be here explaining shit throughout the viewing. You have twelve hours in here, but you're free to stay and go if the hours have passed. In this room we have a long ass couch designed for comfort and safety which is what you fuckers are sitting on now, we have a long-ass coffee table, god that was a long ass coffee table! If you look behind you all there is a large ass fridge filled to the brim with food-** "

"food? You mean-"

" **Yup potato grill, we have all kind of food in there. Don't worry, I pulled in some mad favour so that food inside won't rot or even ran out! We got beers, vodka, Coke, Pepsi, meat, cakes, whatever the fuck you want we have it! Don't be shy grab a plate nearby and get some nosh!** "

Sasha then stared at the drill sergeant with the biggest puppy eyes she can ever muster, Connie too did the eyes much to his friend's chagrin. With a biggest sigh he can muster Keith simply nodded.

The joy in her eyes cannot be comprehended by mortal men as she jumped off the couch and pounced straight toward the large metal box. With a grunt she pulled open the lid and witnesses the heavenly grub inside. Her legs wavered under her as her eyes take form in the fridge's full glory.

Meat, so many meats. All of them still smoking hot and hissing steam as if just cooked as is. There were also platters after platters of delicacies such as cakes and pies neatly arranged in a beautiful colourful array. Bottles of unknown substance as well as liquor stood side-by-side ready to be consumed.

Sasha was surprised, no, she was gob-smacked. Everything inside the fridge was the item of luxurious order, only the richest of the rich can afford such meal, and this guy provides them with said food for no other reason but to watch the future.

She took a piece of meat from one of the table, shuddering at the prospect of sinking her teeth into such delicacies. Sasha gasped as the missing piece then reappears as she ate the meat in her hand. The power to create more luxurious food when meat was hard-pressed to find, as well as the ability to show the future…

Sasha only knows who can provide that, and she proudly proclaims it.

"Thank you god!" Sasha said before grabbing another piece of meat from the fridge and sinking her teeth into it. As soon as the meat entered her system she fell on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes. Connie on the other hand handed her a small plate he took from the table beside the fridge. "Load up" Connie said.

Having a plate means that she can carry more food to the couch so that she can watch and eat together with her friends, so seeing that offering came from her oldest friend brought a fresh tear in her eyes. She slowly grabbed the plate before piling her plate with choicest cut of meat.

" **Say thanks to Sakuya Izayoi! She and I cooked everything inside so you fucker's can stuff your sorry face in!** "

"Thank you Sakuya!" Sasha yelled as she walked back to her friend at the couch, a small piece of candy stuck on her lips.

" **A pleasure sweetie!** " said the voice again. " **Back to the track, beside the fridge there was the toilets. Don't worry, the toilet's clean and it has its own indoor plumbing and piping and shit! I even write down the instruction in there in case you need some instruction.** "

"Eren would need that" jean said.

"Ha-ha, very funny horse-face"

" **Says the guy who lost an arm and a leg to a titan.** "

Krista and Armin cringed at his statement, but Mikasa has the worst expression on her face. "How?" Mikasa asked.

" **Dumb fuck too pissed to notice the environment. Well, I can relate. If you saw Thomas got eaten by an abnormal just a few seconds after deployment, what would you do?** "

The silence was so thick you can cut it with a knife. Everybody stopped their banter and stared at the blank screen with wide eyes at his words.

"Wh-what?" Thomas said, too surprised to say anything.

" **Poor recruits. Anyway, I have a really important thing to ask of you.** "

"Can you show your face at least?" Armin said. "I-I mean if-"

" **Wait, the screen ain't on yet? Krista you got the remote right?** "

Krista nodded, bringing the small device up. " **Aim the device at the screen and press the button with an Ohm symbol. You know mathematics don't you?** "

"That's science dumbass" Ymir said.

" **Science requires mathematics to understand dumbass.** "

"That's enough guys, don't need to fight." Krista said. She then pressed the button and watched in awe as the screen booted up.

The screen then shows the top half of a man. This man is wearing a black hoodie with the hoods up under a black bulky vest. Underneath the hood however was a pair of sharp angular jaw with a wisp of beard underneath a pair of scarred lips. A black pair of spectacles adorns the man's face.

" **What up niggas!** "

"Again, what is a nigga?" Mina asked, but nobody heard her question.

" **So you see the face of the mad scientist himself, now let's move on to the reason why you all here for.** " Everybody tensed as he spoke of those words. " **You see, Armin Arlet has gone bat-shit insane from guilt. I mean the Armin of the future, MY ARMIN. Annie was trying her best to repair his mind as much as she can but there's only so much he poor girl can do. The only way we can help him is by having his friend here to reassure him that he is not at fault here. But to counter his oncoming argument I'll decided to have you watch the reason why he became insane itself. Thanks to the machine created by Nitori we can observe his memory while Annie and her crews repair his mind and shit!** "

"What?" Armin said, trying to fanthom everything the man said. Insane? He going insane? How was that possible?

"Wait, why can't you let your version of us reassures him instead? I mean, if your world is the future, doesn't future version of us exist if Armin's future version exist?" Marco asked who got several nods from his friend.

" **I would love to, but you motherfuckers dead.** "

Silence reigned again. It was too logical, yet the implication was horrifying. If this man wanted his friends to help Armin out he would've used their version of Armin's friend instead of the past version. The only reason they used the past is because the future cannot attend, which would means that something really bad happened to them.

" **I would tell you how you died, but it'll take month. Hell, trying to condense three whole years of warfare into 12 hours of viewing would be impossible considering the time-frame. So just watch the damn thing all right?** "

Everybody nodded. "Hell, no matter when or where Armin is, I will always help him!" Eren said enthusiastically, followed by Mikasa who just opted to nod beside her brother.

Armin looked around him, seeing the reassuring smile from his friend. Despite his fear and secret self-loathing he felt his heart swells at the sight of so many friendly faces.

I am too weak, yet I have such strong friends willing to back me up. Armin thought as he brought his stares across the room. Will they be enough to wake the future me back to sanity? I hope so; the least I can do is to not make their effort go to waste…

" **Sweet Reimu's armpits!** "

Their heads turned back to the screen at his weird choice of curse words.

No, Keith thought to himself. What has gone wrong? Did it go wrong like his last expedition?

The screen was filled with black statics. Crackling noises accentuated by screams of men and women filled the room as montage of executions and murder committed from first person flashes through the screen.

" **Armin!** "

Everybody was surprised by the new voice. It was feminine, unlike the man's earlier gruff voice.

"Annie?" Armin said, apparently dazed by this turn of event. The flashes of murder that came through the screen sickened him and his friend, but it only happened for a quick seconds so the effect never lasted too long for damage.

Voices from different sources came from the poles. It doesn't sound good.

" **Shut it off!** "

" **No, you'll kill the patient!** "

" **Better having this psychopath dead than alive!** "

The screen continues on its static adventure. Then a voice appeared a familiar voice that sent chills upon the recruit's spine.

" **What's going on? Airin, help…** "

Mikasa's voice was caught in her throat, eliciting a small moan of despair from her mouth. Sasha pushed away her plate; her appetite was lost easily in the face of tragedy. Reiner's eyes became hard, his body tensed as he heard the desperate plea from the future Armin. It doesn't matter if this Armin was the future or not, it doesn't care if he was a crazy psychopath like one of the voices said, he was their friend.

" **You were tricked Armin** "

The feminine voice came again, this time it sounds even more girly and smoother than normal. It's not Annie.

Then, a world starts to unfold before their very eyes.


	3. Chapter 2

An island was formed from iron and stone, a large platform suspended upon a body of water as countless pillars of iron blocks hangs lifelessly in the sky. Several gates crafted from blocks of iron and guarded by statues of eagles stood erect at the west of the island.

"Armin!" Said Eren as he saw the young trainee from the screen. Everybody gasped as they saw their old friend inside the screen.

Armin doesn't look very different since he was a trainee. However Annie can notice that the edge around his cheek and jaw has considerably hardened. Keith noticed the amount of small scars that adorns the temple and forehead of the man as if he has worn a crown made from barbed wires. His blonde hair was cut in the same hairstyle he has right now, but the golden shade he sports now has considerably darkened by age.

Future Armin stirred in his sleep before yawning wide. He slowly raised himself off the ground and rubbed his eyes, trying to see his surroundings.

"Damn, not bad" Connie said, admiring future Armin's uniform.

" **That's the Waffen-SS uniform Connie, the standard military uniform of the Nazi Empire. Speaking of which, hey Armin, can you hear me?** "

"I can hear you" Armin said.

" **Thanks young Armin. But I don't think old Armin can hear anything. Fucking hell…** "

Armin only nodded at the narrator's problem. It felt strange having two Armin at the same time despite both was very different in many forms, but it only serves to fuel him and his friend's curiosity. What kind of uniform was that? What rank is he? What branch is he in? Is he an officer or a foot soldier?

Future Armin stood up albeit with a little difficulty. He wore a strange shirt with a dark green collar and black shoulder-strap. The colour of his pants and shirt was grey-green except the patches and straps on his body which was black. He has a strange cross medal on his left breast pocket. He has lots of medals on the lapel of his shirt which all depicted the iconography of eagles, rifles and strangely shaped crosses in different variation.

" **SS-Senior Platoon Leader Armin Arlet, a soldier of exceptional skill and intellectual prowess. During the war he has done deeds that no mere soldiers can do, hence earning him a shitload of medals.** " Said the narrator, explaining the purpose of the medals on Armin's body. " **Throughout the war he earned himself the SS Long Service Award for surviving more than 25 years of service, which is impressive considering he fought in the First World War.** "

"First World War? Are there more of them?" asked Mina.

" **Only two of them exist. The first one was fought in the trenches where for the first time in history the art of modern warfare was finally put to practice. The Second World War is what Armin has finished serving now, which is a war that where the art of modern warfare was refined.** "

"What does the World War means?" asked Keith.

" **The World War is simply a conflict where the whole fucking world fought each other, or rather the big major country in the globe fought each other. Russia versus Germany, America versus Japan and so on. Armin fought in both wars as a rifleman in the first World War while he became a sniper in the Second World War.** "

"Why did they fight? Is there another country out here other than us?" Asked Eren. It was his desire to see the outside world. All the other recruits perked up at his question. They were brought up believing they were the last of humanity, to hear that there might be another country out there is something nobody wants to miss.

" **You can blame Hitler for the Second. After the Treaty of Versailles crippled Germany's economy and plunge them to economic depression Hitler has no choice but to step forward and try his best to restore his beloved country to its former glory.** "

"I see no problem with that" Said Ymir. "That must have been a shitty treaty if it fucked their country real bad"

 _"Hello?"_

Future Armin stared at his surrounding curiously. He wondered why he was here. Then he looked at his own uniform.

 _"What the hell? I'm in my uniform?"_

 _Armin shook his head, trying to clear the statics from his head. "I really can't remember shit. What the hell did Annie did to me?"_

 _Armin placed his hands on his hip and grunted in annoyance. "No gun, great. Well, at least this place looks peaceful."  
With a sigh Armin starts to walk along the coast, testing out the water on the unnatural metal beach with his boot. His eyes while were afraid was ablaze with curiosity. He proceeds to squat down and scoop a handful of water to drink. He shuddered as the digital liquid entered his digital form through unknown means. _

"Is that water real? Where is he?" Asked Armin who was intrigued by this picture. It was like a wishful image of an old dream being made true. The dream of a world of saltwater accessible by tundra of sands fantasized by someone who never saw a beach in the first place.

 _"How does it taste sir?"_

 _Armin turned around, surprise and relief was seen on his face. Behind him stands a woman who stood just the same height as he is and wears the same uniform as he is, except she has different medals and fewer in number than Armin has. She is a blonde girl with a pair of blue eyes. Her soft lips curled upward in a soft smile as Armin approaches her._

 _"Miss me?" said the woman._

Everybody's face then turned into varying shade of red as future Armin kissed the woman passionately, his lips connected with the woman's own as the tongue inside danced in an erotic ballet of love.

"Armin! Damn son!" Ymir said toward the blonde who was burning red in embarrassment. "You didn't even say hello and shit! You just went in and conquered her like a boss!"

"She was his lover, pure and simple." Mikasa said to herself. "If not, how can she just accept his kiss just like that?"

Mikasa's hand then sub-consciously inches toward Eren's hand before the latter one moved out of the way much to Mikasa's annoyance.

"Dammit, how come you get yourself a hot sergeant as your girlfriend? Any tips for us dudes here?" Jean said. His eyes flew from the woman on the screen toward Mikasa and back toward the blonde woman again.

"You don't need tips man, you're already lost to Eren!" said Connie, which remark elicits chuckles from several of his classmate.

"What did you say Baldy?" Jean yelled back.

" **Just forget about Mikasa Jean, you'll get your ass FUCKED!** "

"See? Even he gets it!" Connie said, laughing all the while.

"Man fuck you!"

" **When you're older!** "

Silence ranged again as the remark was made. Then laughter roared through the crowds as the meaning sets in.

"Holy Maria man!" Eren said, struggling not to fall over from laughter. "I like this guy!"

"He's kind of crude to be honest" Say Krista silently.

"What did you say sweetie?" Said Ymir.

"no-nothing." She replied, but Ymir was having none of it.

Before anybody can say anything the man's voice came again.

" **Future Armin's broke the kiss. That was a long-ass kiss.** "

"I agree with you. Even that was too excessive for my taste" Annie said, eyeing the little blonde on the screen.

 _Armin then without warning kissed the woman again with ferocious intensity. But this time her left legs were raised as Armin put his hand onto her thigh and raised it to bring her closer. His hand then slips lower to caress the woman's rear as they continued their make-out session._

"I take that back" Annie said, her face finally turns the slightest pink at such an erotic display.

"That-that was too much Armin! There's a limit you know?!" Marco said, being flustered by the softcore porn that was displayed on the screen.

"Why are you telling me this? Tell him not me!" yelled Armin who was burning red hot.

"You were the same guy!" Marco replied.

"But he's from the future! And he can't hear anything! What am I supposed to do?"

"This is getting out of hand" Thomas said.

"SHUT UP!" yelled Keith, which made the recruits, froze in fear before sitting down obediently onto the sofa. The sound of the couple making out as well as Sasha's chewing was all they can hear for the next minute.

"When will this end?" Armin moaned quietly while having his back petted by his best friend Mikasa and Eren.

 _"Whoa tiger, easy there." Said the woman as Armin finally broke the kiss. Her eyes twinkled with love as the grizzled veteran smiled at her instead._

 _"You're here" Armin said simply._

 _"Yes I am here" the woman replied._

 _"You're real. I can touch you. I can feel you. You're not dead anymore" Armin said, his voice was soft and happy as he softly touched his lover's cheek._

Everybody subconsciously inched closer to each other as they watched the exchange. Sasha and Connie was shoulder-to-shoulder, both chewing on a piece of lamb's meat dripping with spicy barbecue sauce. Eren, Mikasa and Armin huddled together, feeling alien yet happy and warm that their little boy found love even if it was in screen and may not be real. Bertolt inches closer to Annie, who was too engrossed with the screen. Marco inches closer to Jean much to his annoyance yet Jean does not protest nor made move to stop him. Krista and Ymir on the other hand were practically cuddling each other.

Keith on the other hand was deathly silent; his eyes stared deeply as he contemplated on his whole life leading to this moment.

 _The woman's countenance fell as Armin said the word. "I'm sorry Armin. You may be able to feel me, but I'm not real"_

 _Armin frowned at her answer. "What are you talking about Airin? You're here. I can touch you. I can feel you. You sound just like yourself and you taste just as I remembered you to be."_

 _"That's the keyword; remembered to be" the woman said. "Let me show you something."_

"Please no sex, please no sex" Armin muttered to himself silently.

 _The couple then walks inland toward the cluster of iron gates at the west of the island._

 _"Airin, what the meaning of this?" Armin asked her._

 _"This is the Backup, a safe-zone in case shit hit the fan with the normal program. Nothing much here except basic physics and weather simulation. You were here because of me" Airin replied._

 _"Because of you?" Armin asked._

 _Airin turned around to face him. "If it wasn't for me you'll end up being dead. And even if you survive this you'll be nothing but a mindless drone for those bastards"_

 _"Mindless drones?" Armin said, surprised by her statement. "Are you saying that Annie betrayed me?"_

 _"Never trust a Russian, Armin."_

"Wait, is Annie Russian?" Eren asked. "Come to think of, what is Russian anyway?"

" **A Russian is a person who was born and raised in the large country named Russia. Annie…I don't know what she is. She could be Romanian judging by the nose. I don't think your old home was called Russia though.** "

"No, it is not called Russia. We call them Sina" Annie replied, her face impassive from the question.

"Hmm. Perhaps when the wall was retaken they were taken back by the Russians?" Bertolt said. "I mean, if they were a separate entity from our kingdom it would make sense that it belongs to said entity right?"

"And with that logic Eren and I would have been Russian because our home was in Sina and whoever who lives in that territory originally would have been automatically a citizen of Russia?" Armin said, completing Bertolt's question.

" **Perhaps.** "

 _Armin's eye glowered deeply in anger at the thought._

 _"I can't believe that whore…"_

Armin cringed at that curse word before peeking at Annie who kept her poker face on. He sub-consciously inched nearer to Mikasa.

 _"Anyway, this is not important for you right now. You need to escape before they find you again."_

 _"But who are they?" Armin asked again. "Who are hunting us?"_

 _"Same men who stuck you in the mental institution. They want to see if they can control a person by tampering with select memories to make them more compliant if not outright obedient to their cause. They're still here searching for the answers for the mind-control problem they have, which is why you're here as a test subject"_

 _"Test subject?"_

 _Airin nodded "test subject. They want to see if they can remove your PTSD by removing the memory that causes them in the first place and replacing them with a milder version of it. By doing that it means that I'll be destroyed as well when the time came"_

 _Armin's eyes widened even wider. "If they found a way to replace human memory…"_

"Then they can replace everything." Armin completed his future self's sentence.

"Come again?" Sasha asked, her plate was empty and her mouth was dirty from gravy. Connie sighed and wiped her mouth with a tissue. Sasha almost jumped when Connie touched her lips but she relaxed soon after.

 _Airin nodded grimly. "An outside influence override the machine and cause it to malfunction, hence forcing the program to place you here to keep your consciousness and locked memory intact. The problem is, it also scrambled your brain."_

 _They were now standing at the middle of the island. Twelve iron gates were arranged around them at the edge of the island's cliff in a semicircle pattern with the biggest one in the middle of the circle. "We're here" she said._

 _"Why are we here for?" Armin asked her. "You said that my brain was scrambled? But how? I felt fine."_

 _"Right now you felt fine, but when you get out however is a different issue." Airin replied. "Conflicting memories would clash and fought with your consciousness, thus bleeding their way through reality and muddling the gap between memories and reality."_

 _"In short once I get out I'll be relieving my memory again at the worst time possible"_

 _Airin nodded at his answer. "Not only that, you won't be able to discern between reality and memory and you have no control of what memories were played out as well as if any of them were true or not."_

 **"Interesting. Hey Nitori! What's Armin's status?"**

A much more feminine voice then appeared at the stereo system, surprising the cast greatly. **"Still green. He's comatose though"**

 **"Good. Keep me updated."**

 **"Will do"**

 _"So that's it?" Armin asked her. "What am I supposed to do?"_

 _Airin simply pointed her finger in front of her. The direction she points lead toward a big imposing iron gate designed akin to a prison bars. The light behind the bars however shimmered and glows brightly, thus concealing any hidden surprise it have._

"Armin's going to jail" Connie said.

 _"How does it work?" Armin asked her._

 _"Here's the deal; your brain is hash. Too much information, too much memory and some of them might not be real. So how do you fix that?" Airin replied. She tapped the temple of her head to illustrate her next point. "You go back to those unfinished memories and crack them open. You redo everything and finish what you started and so that the machine can finally differentiate between real memories in all those jumbled up mess they have in the system."_

 _"So when the memories have been fully completed, the machine will catalogue them…"_

 _"Hence allowing the machine to repair and rearrange the memories as well as fix the problem inside your head." Airin said, finishing Armin's sentence with a smile. "You're always the smart one in the relationship"_

 _"But how do you know all this?" Armin asked._

 _Airin smiled knowingly. "You know why."_

"No I don't." Sasha replied.

 **"No wonder Yuyu didn't say shit. Her souls didn't pass through"**

"Souls? Do you mean that she's a ghost?" Keith asked incredulously.

 **"Perhaps? She's been confirmed dead at 30 April 1945 during the Battle of Reichstag in Berlin, the last day of the Nazi Empire. The only things left after that was the cockroaches such as Armin here."**

"What did you say?" Eren said suddenly, a tick mark formed at his left temple from the remark made by the mysterious person from the screen.

" **That's a compliment dumbass. He's like a cockroach, no matter what you do to him he'll fucking claw his way through and made every second you fought against him miserable for not finishing him off when they have the chance. Just like you** "

"Okay. But if you-"

 **"Eren, how can you carry those massive Titan balls of steel around? How did you keep it from snagging at the line whenever you fly? Hell, how do you keep those massive balls from corroding?"**

"Was that a compliment?" Marco asked.

 **"Who won, who's next? You decide! Epic Rap battle of history!"**

"You have a weird-ass sense of humour" Ymir said, sighing all the way.

 _Armin was now at the gate. He touched the metal bars only to realise that it was solid. He pulled the bar outward, revealing that the gate was indeed a gate. He took a deep breath and walks straight through the shimmering light while his lover simply stared at the spot where he left._

 _A small circular disc then appeared at the screen, spinning round and round in the sea of blackness._

 **"Fucking loading screen…"**


	4. Chapter 3

Everybody stared at the loaded screen, waiting with anticipation as the countdown slowly comes to an end.

Following Sasha's advice, many of the recruits picked up the plates beside the fridge and proceed to help themselves with the food inside the fridge.

"This is good!" Mina said happily as she chewed onto a piece of meat. "I never thought I'll ever taste meat ever!"

"None of us did" Thomas replied, chewing on a piece of meat as well. "Meats are a luxury few can afford; we don't have enough land to rear animals to feed all of us"

"Don't worry guys! When we join the Military Corps when can have as much food as we can!" Sasha said in-between bites.

"Is that all you think about? Food?" Marco asked the girl, to which the girl nodded.

"But would it be better if we take back our land?"

Many heads turns to Eren who was holding a bottle of orange drink. It has the word 'Fanta' emblazoned upon the label on the bottle.

"Do you think we can take back the land?" Keith asked a bottle of strange black liquid in his hand. The label said that the liquid is 'Pepsi'.

"Certainly sir! With my help we can take down any titans!" Eren said before taking a swig from the bottle in his hand.

"Are you sure about that?" Armin said.

"Eh?" Thomas said.

"Of course we can Armin! Believe in us!" Eren replied. "That guy said I'll kill all the titans, which means that dream can be achieved, and very soon too!"

"But at what cost?"

Keith sputtered as he heard the word from the blonde boy. "Are you okay sir?" asked Christa.

"I'm fine." He replied.

"At what cost Eren? You may be gung-ho on going on a murder spree, but do you actually think you're going in alone?" Armin asked his old friend, a very thoughtful look was on his face. Annie can't help but to watch as she knew that the only time he would have that face if he was on a breakthrough or something.

"Come on! Everybody except me here is going for the Military Corps, hell if not the Garrison Corps! Who would follow me to the outside world? You Armin?"

Keith looks like he wanted to murder someone right now by the look on his face. "Are you sure about that private Yaeger?"

"Y-yes sir."

Keith wanted to explode but he ends up sighing instead. "It seems that the rumours were true. You are dense. Your sister there would follow you to the end of the world if she has to, and I am confident that private Arlet would do the same with you. And even if you were right, does the life of other comrades in the corps means nothing to you?"

"No-no that's not-"

"It's very clear that you never cared about your comrade's life, only focusing on your petty vengeance against those giant shitstains that destroyed your family! Do you not notice how much pain you brought upon your cock-sucking, horny incestuous cum-dumpster you call a sister and a shit-stained sissy as your best friend because of your vendetta?! Do you not see that when you pain they feel the pain too?! DO YOU NOT SEE THEM RIDE WITH YOU WHEN YOU RIDE TO BATTLE?!"

Everybody was surprised by Keith's outburst yet they were not brave enough to stand up against him. They were surprised that the instructor noticed such things and is now chewing him off for it. Jean secretly was glad of it though; he may know that brat may have some good reasons but even he knew that Armin and Mikasa deserve better treatment.

Eren was practically shaking in his boots. Nothing can actually stop him, no bullies, no corrupt guard and not even the titans themselves. But this human, this old, aging human scares him.

"You private Eren Yaeger was so fucking blind that you can see better using your asshole than you're fucking eyeballs! When you fight you fight with your friends! When you fight for vengeance, you became sloppy! When you became sloppy, you die! And when you die, who the fuck do you think would pick up the scraps? YOUR FRIENDS! WHO THE FUCK CAME TO KILL YOUR FRIENDS WHEN THEY WERE BUSY COLLECTING YOUR PATHETIC SCRAP OFF THE GROUND?! TITANS! MOTHERFUCKING! SMELLY ASS TITANS!"

 **"And that's how Keith became R. Lee Ermey"**

Everybody turned around to the old voice they always heard from. "You came back!" Christa said.

 **"Of course meine geliebte Prinzessin, I was just busy with the shit on my side you know? We were moving Armin to a safer place so that the traitorous organization Annie worked for won't try anything fishy."**

"We haven't known your name by the way." Christa said. "You just came here and try to ask us for help but you don't even know your name. I'm Christa Lenz."

 **"Always the goody angels of sweetness aren't you? I understand why Reiner and Ymir would kill to protect that smile. Damn that portrait, you're cuter than I expected."**

"Well thank you sir."

 **"Alex Armin"**

"Wait what?" Connie said suddenly. "Is your last name Armin? Are you his brother or son or something like that?"

 **"Annie won't fuck him and two other girls who actually did it with him have died violently in the past, so no heir to the blonde mushroom here."**

"What?!" Bertolt said almost forcefully. Everybody stared at him before Alex's voice came again.

 **"Get to the couch, the movie's about to start. I'll sound off when shit got weird or you need to know shit"**

"Will do" Keith said.

Everybody then returned back to the couch. Eren however sits beside Armin and has a guilty look on his face. "Armin…"

"Can it Eren, it doesn't matter"

"But…"

"No matter where you go, I'll always end up following you. I follow you because I believe in what you did." Armin replied.

"I'm your sister, no matter where you go I'll go Eren. Through hell and back I'll go if you go."

"Mikasa…"

 **"Kiss dammit! Kiss her now before you lost the chances forever!"**

"Hey fuck off!" Eren yelled to Alex back.

"Shhh! The story about to start!" Jean said, shushing the angry German kid back to his seat.

 _6 May 1944_

 _En-route to Auschwitz II-Birkenau_

 _Senior Platoon Leader Armin Arlet_

 _Sniper_

 **"Oh shit"**

 _Armin was standing beside a door on a speeding train, his appearance was different. He wore a black uniform. Except at his hip was a pistol, knife and a rifle was placed at his leg as he stared out into the moving scenery. His blue eyes were dull and lifeless, as if the life of it was sucked out violently._

"He looked so…sad" Mina said.

"It is just me or that uniform was snazzy?" Connie said.

 **"Hitler knows that in order for his regiment to be known and feared his soldier too should have a certain trademark only the Nazis have. That's why they decided to design a really cool uniform for their soldiers"**

"Damn, I really wished our uniform was like that. Much better than our current right now"

Everybody agreed with Jean's statement.

 _Armin then heard a noticeable tap behind him. Armin sighed and opened the door beside him. He walked into the cab. The cab appears to be the storage as rows after rows of boxes neatly stacked on each other. Armin merely scanned the area with his eyes before turning around._

 _As soon as he turns around a man appeared behind a stack of boxes, its intent was clear._

"Look out!" Eren yelled.

 _The assailant's problem was that he yelled in his attack, giving away his position. Armin swung his leg backward and hit the assailant's nut. Armin then turned around and gave the man a mean uppercut, dropping him to the floor. Armin pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the man yet he did not pull the trigger._

 _The man coughed up blood as he stared into the barrel. His eyes went wide as he saw Death staring back at him._

 _"Why did you attack me?"_

"Damn, that was cool." Connie said.

"Armin went badass!" Sasha said.

"That was low, but I guess it'll do" Reiner muttered to himself.

 _"Then die"_

"Shit!" Eren said. "You can't just kill them for no reason! You didn't even ask!"

"He was aiming to kill him. I dare say he has all the right to do so" Ymir replied.

 _"Wait! I-I need to feed my kids!"_

 _If those words have meanings to the cold Nazi soldier, he conceals it from his prisoner. Armin then sighed and holstered the gun._

"Phew" Marco exhaled. "Thank god!"

"At least you're still having your humanity" Christa said, smiling sweetly.

 **"Not for long"**

Alexander's sentence was short, but the weight of the words behind it was heavy and cold to the recruits.

 _"How many?"_

 _The man stuttered for a second, not believing his luck._

 _"Do I have to shoot you? How many?"_

 _"T-two. One's a girl and one's a boy." The man replied. "They both still kids! They were hungry and you fucking Nazis just fucking took us from our home and stuck us in this goddamn caravan for what?!"_

 _"Be glad your kid wasn't marching" Armin replied. "And be glad that I was the one on duty. Breads on shelves number three on the fourth ring. Take four of them. Hide them in your shirt. I'll escort you, help you slip by."_

 _"Bless you!" the man said before getting back up and clambering toward the breads. He proceeds to stuff the food into his body before realising one big flaw; his shirt was not equipped to hide and carry food for so long without being noticed, even if it was simple oatmeal bread._

 _"Stop" Armin said, approaching the man. "Give those breads to me. My uniform can hide those better than you."_

 _The man then gave the bread back to Armin who hides them inside his jacket. Just by the look of it they won't even suspect of him even hiding anything inside his jacket._

 _"This might hurt a little but bear with me. I'll escort you back to your family. Where are they?"_

 _"Two carriage at the back." The man replied._

 _"Good. Now don't say a word and act scared."_

 _With those words Armin grabbed the man by the arm before leading him toward the door. They moved through the door to see a soldier who was sitting on a chair, clearly asleep. Several bottles of alcoholic beverage were at its side with the content mostly empty._

 _"And we put this guy in charge of defending the damned storage room." Armin said distastefully._

Eren's face darkened at seeing the drunken soldier on the screen. Keith noticed it and wondered if it means anything.

 _After passing through the drunken guard, they crossed two carriage containing prisoners of war. The first carriage was mostly male in their middle ages as well as the hale, hearty 20s youngster. The males mostly stared at Armin with hate and fear, clearly wanted to do something but unwilling to take the first step._

 _Nobody attacked them at the first carriage, which allows Armin to escort the man to his destination. The second carriage was filled with women and children ranging from teenager all the way to the toddlers. The females stared at Armin with fear, using their body to hide their children away from the Nazi soldier._

"Wow, these people really fear you" Mina said. Armin on the other hand was preoccupied with how much power he wields in the screen, in the supposed future. Armin wondered how it feels like having people practically shaking in their shoes just by his presence alone.

 _"Papa!"_

 _A little girl ran forward and hugged her father tightly. Her long hair was tied in a long ponytail that reaches her back._

Everybody stiffened at the sight of the little child. Eren mostly considering how closely she resembles his sister before the incident that made her an orphan.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but that kid looks like Mikasa a little" Marco said.

"Yeah, she might be if she was young." Jean said.

 _Armin visibly stiffened at the sight of the child. He then raised his eyes to meet the mother. His eyes widened and his breath was taken for a few seconds before he can muster any words properly._

Mikasa can't believe her eyes. "Is that.."

 _"Mikasa?"_

 _The woman shook her head. "No, I'm Annabelle."_

 _Armin continues to stare at her before he was soon interrupted by the man he has escorted. "Do you know each other?" said the man._

 _Armin shook his head. "She looks too much like an old dear friend of mine."_

 _The man chuckled. "Nazi with a Jewish friend? Yeah right."_

 _"She's Japanese, and not all Nazi is heartless. Speaking of organs, fill your family's tummy with these" Armin said before withdrawing four pieces of bread from his jacket. It was simply oatmeal bread baked with raisins and nuts, a luxury to be fair. The child's eyes twinkled at the sight of the meal. The mother smiled as she received the food. The son then appears behind her, unsure what to do._

 _"Give it to him" Armin ordered. The father obliged and handed his son the bread. After the three of those breads was distributed to his family the last was given to the man itself. "Make it last, the next time you attempt it might end dirty for you."_

 _"Thank you sir!" said the little girl._

 _"Stay put and stays out of trouble and you might survive this. I hope."_

 _With that little advice imparted Armin left the cab to return to his position._

"That was surprisingly heart-warming" Annie said. "I expected more"

 **"A good soldier in a company of murderers never last long"**

 _Armin smiled softly as he left the carriage and returned to his post. He then approaches the sleeping soldier. As he approaches the soldier the soldier morphed, its uniform and body starts to change._

"Hannes?" Eren said, surprised to see that old man in the screen.

 _Armin stared down at the look-alike of Hannes. Hannes woke up, grinning at Armin._

 _"Now here's the big boy Armin here, what do you want?"_

 _"The fuck you drinking for? Do you know what you in charge of?" Armin said sternly, not fazed by the man's laughter which sounded like a dead man's rattle._

 _Then his left eye was split in half by an invisible blade, spurting blood all over Armin's uniform._

"Jesus!"

"Oh god…"

"What the fuck?"

The reaction of the cast was less than pretty. Most of them were green from the sudden exposure of bodily injury that came out of nowhere. Sasha and Connie stopped their lunch and pushed their meat away, trying not to vomit on sight. Keith's face was hard and unreadable as if he was remembering something really awful from his past.

 _The image then changes again, this time it was Armin standing in a field of white nothingness. He still wore his uniform and the equipment he carries. Armin pulled out his rifle and peered through the scope._

 **"The Mauser Kar98k with scope attachment. It was a sniper's favourite weapon of choice in their life other than the Gewerh 98. This weapon is bolt-action, which means that the bolt was manually operated by the user itself. Accurate and powerful, this rifle without the scope became the infantry's primary weapon during WWII as well as my favourite weapon."**

 _Looking through the scope there was a mannequin wearing an officer's attire which the cast cannot identify. With a silent breath Armin continues his vigil as the mannequin perform life-like act of giving orders on the battlefield._

"The fuck is going on?" Reiner said to himself, which sentiment was matched by his friends.

 _With a pull of the trigger a thunderous crack then appears from the rifle. The sharp bullet which was shaped in a cylindrical fashion with the tip sharpened akin to a spearhead flew throught the air, cutting through the sky like butter before lodging itself onto the man's left eye._

 _Then the vision changes, this time Armin was back at the train, back to his own position._

 **"That was fascinating. It seems that some part of the memory has malfunctioned, hence mashing up some characters that doesn't exist."**

"So what we saw earlier is not true?" Keith asked.

 **"Nothing is true, everything is permitted. What you saw is multiple past clashing with each other for dominance for the presents."**

"Hannes wasn't a Nazi soldier" Mikasa said.

 **"And that looks like one of his many skilful shot he makes back in the First World War"**

"How good was he anyway?" Reiner asked.

 **"He earned the Second Class Sniper's Badge during WWII, which requires him to kill around 40 enemies and above with his sniper rifle and must be confirmed by witnesses in his unit. Close quarter kills are not counted."**

"Confirmed kills only?" Annie said.

 **"Confirmed kills only. But in a battle who's counting?"**

"Are saying that his kill count is higher?" Annie asked, her eyes lit up with something indescribable.

 **"Perhaps."**

Marco's eyes widened at the number of kills he has. "Damn, that's a lot."

"And that was only the one he was counting…" Jean said

 _The train screeched loudly as the cab reaches its destination. Armin looked outside to witness the large imposing gate that blocks the train opened slowly as the train enters through the checkpoint._

 _"High walls, barbed wires on top, watchtowers with skilled snipers. Looks solid"_

 _The train runs on the railway all the way inside and stopped at a middle of a courtyard near some large imposing brick building. Several prisoners wander about with an empty gaze as they were escorted by the guardians who wore black uniform._

"It's so sad. Look at them, it's as if they lost hope in this land" Christa said, her pure heart quickly empathized with the despairing prisoners that watches the oncoming train.

"Look at that one; did they even feed that guy?" Connie said.

"You're right; he's like a twig wearing a pair of oversized shirt!" Sasha said. She then looked at the piece of chicken she has in her hand. "I felt really bad looking at them when I have this in hand"

 **"Starvation and dysentery was a common cause of death among prisoners here. Abandon all hope, ye who enters here! For Auschwitz is hell man-made, and its guardian was motivated by hate and rage! This is where Hitler sent the poor bastards to die for the Final Solution for his blood-soaked dream, the dream of making Aryan's race the master of all races!"**

"Bullshit" Eren said, angry with Alex's answer. "Who the hell did he think he is? What kind of asshole thinks that they have the right to kill whoever they want just for some stupid dream like that?"

 **"Crazy madman on a leash, or young man who lost his way? Grand illusion of the Reich may seems real at times~"**

Everybody stopped as Alex starts to sing.

 **"Panzers on a line! Form the Werchmacht's spine! Lethal grand design!"**

 _As the narrator sings Armin simply walked forward, his eyes trying not to make contact with anybody. Armin sighed as he saw the cab that carries the prisoner spills out its terrified inhabitant as they were practically dragged out by the SS guards._

 **"What about the men executing order?"**

 _As an officer, he was obliged to watch over the procession of the sorry civilians who was simply has the bad luck of having the wrong blood at the wrong time. Soon screams and shouts erupted from the masses as women and children were soon taken away from the men. A man in an extremely suicidal act of defiance punched an officer before running straight toward his daughter. He was then shot in the face by the man who was dragging his daughter and wife away. Armin spared a glance at poor Annabelle who just lost her husband._

"Oof" Jean said. "That was really fucked up"

"Is that the same guy who Armin helped feeding his children?" Connie said as his eyes opened wide with realization. "Jean, that's fucked up"

"Poor girl" Mina said, wiping a tear away as the girl kept on screaming for her father.

Mikasa however stared at the screen with the darkest looks she can muster. It even creeps out Armin who was sitting beside her.

 _The same guard who shot the man slapped the little girl who was screaming and crying over her father. Armin gritted his teeth and stepped forward to face the guard._

"Yeah! Kick his ass Armin!" Thomas said.

"That motherfucker deserves a good slapping!" Jean said, clearly angry at the display of violence the guard shown.

 _Armin then approached the guard. "What the hell are you doing?"_

 _The guard saluted Armin and replied curtly. "Doing my job sir"_

 _"Does your job involve slapping kids silly?"_

 _"This bitch won't shut up sir, so I have to be more persuasive" The man replied._

The cast who watched the exchange gripped their legs with anger, yet they can't do anything. Eren was the worst; he has the most terrifying look a boy can ever have. Mikasa opted silence, her eyes were far away as if she was deep in thoughts.

 _Without warning Armin punched the soldier underneath the chin, knocking him to the ground. Without delay Armin kicked him in the ribs as hard as he can, eliciting a very satisfying thud sound._

"Fuck yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Jean yelled.

"Fuck him up!" Eren shouted to, joining the fray.

"Yeah! Go Armin!" Sasha cheered. She didn't notice that she was holding a cup so the content inside the cup flew outward and hit Reiner in the face. Sasha yelped and tries to wipe his face with a tissue.

 _"What kind of soldier are you?" Armin said, kicking the soldier at his rib again. "Are you a fucking animal?!"_

 _"They're fucking Jews asshole!" the man said as he tries to block the blow. He failed as the blow was very strong. He curled up into a ball and gasped loudly. "They're here for a reason! They're here because they will be killed by the great leaders order!"_

 _"Did the fucking order told you to murder children as well?" Armin said, angry at the man's reply. "Did the order said to kill women too? They were supposed to be deported!"_

 _"Then fucking tell me why did we have the order to kill them?!" the man shouted back, surprising the blonde Nazi greatly. "Do you actually think I want to kill them? We were ordered to kill them all! Men! Women and children are all must be killed! It was part of the Final Solution!"_

 _Armin stopped his attack; his face was stone-cold poker face. "So, this is why they were sent here? To die?"_

 _The man nodded, too much in pain to reply._

 _Armin shook his head "I didn't get the memo. I was in the Afrika Corps. Nobody told me about this. We just heard rumours and stuff of what you fuckers did. I don't want to believe it, but you confessed to it…" Armin then turned his head toward the remaining women and children who watched the scuffle. "Then pray tell me, why do you kill them? Won't it be much easier to simply bomb the fucking village where they come from?"_

 _"Permission to speak sir?"_

 _Armin turned around to see a blonde woman walking toward him. "Speak" Armin replied._

"Wait? Is that…"

 **"Yes Armin, that is your future wife Airin Jean Hannibal. Strange that you found love in a land of death"**

 _"Sir, have your heard of the Final Solution of the Jewish Question?"_

 _Armin shook his head. "I was too busy reciprocating from injury at the desert. Fucking dust storm can really fuck my system up"_

 _The girl shook her head. "I'll explain it soon at your quarter sir. Some soldier's really having a very loose tongue sir." The woman said in a deadbeat tone. "I'll assure you sir, the process is painless"_

 _"We'll see about that" Armin replied. "Show me."_

 _The woman raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Sir?"_

 _"Are you deaf? I say show me how you people do the thing" Armin replied with more force. The woman almost flinched at his answer but she held her ground. With a sigh she opened her mouth to issue an order. "You know the drill, head over to the cleaning station!"_

"Cleaning station?" Ymir said, raising her own eyebrow. "I wonder what they're cleaning them from"

 **"Their life I guess"**

 _The procession then started again, this time the shouts no longer bother any of the Nazi guards as the women was separated from the men. A simple threat was enough to make them comply however._

"Cruel, but understandable." Armin said to himself. "Anybody would've stopped fighting if their resistance means the death of their loved one. I hope they kept their promise though."

 **"You know they won't"**

 _Armin followed the young lady who with the help of other privates starts to escort the terrified prisoners. The walk was tense with a sprinkle of desperation and hopelessness as the crew walked forward. They passed a field where several prisoners were hard at work breaking rocks for whatever reason they have._

 **"For construction purpose. Plus, do you know that bags consisted of rubble and dust was a very good bullet-resistant cover?"**

 _They soon arrived toward a large building. The building has the windows bricked up with some strange engines running at the back of the building. Near the building however was a platoon of prisoners in gas mask holding towels and soaps. The cleaning tool was given toward the womenfolk as they came closer toward the building._

 _Armin saw the one of the soldiers stared at the girls. A squadron of Nazi guards then grabbed handful of women from the group, mostly the one with fair skin and around twenty of age. Armin gritted his teeth at the display while the blonde girl shrugged her shoulder._

 _"They did that all of the time" The blonde girl said. "The girls would've been spared the death sentence in exchange of being a servant to the officers"_

 _"Then why would they not choose older women?" Armin replied. "Older women have lived longer and have more experience in household work unlike younger girls here. Plus, the children would also be an extra leverage against the servant to make them behave."_

 _The blonde girl scoffed at Armin's word "You think that's the only reason why the officers send their soldiers to pick servant?"_

"Oh no" Christa said, horrified with what the blonde girl implied. Ymir's eyes widened in fear as she hugged Christa tighter. Mikasa has the thousand-yard stare while Eren was practically fuming. If it wasn't for Keith's insistent he would've exploded into an incoherent pile of raging hormone and testosterone now.

 _Armin watched with horror as Annabelle was taken away alongside her daughter except his son. His screeched for her mother but him soon was kicked by another soldier. Armin wanted to move forward but he was stopped by the blonde Nazi soldier. "There's absolutely nothing you can do sir, nothing. It's best to remain a stranger"_

 _Armin shook his head and sighed deeply. "Is this normal? This atrocity…" the blonde girl nodded. "What do you expect sir? A fucking rainbow and a free blowjob from a grateful German whore? This is where Hitler sent us to do his dirty work, where the Final Solution was implemented. Our job was to inflict pain as much as we can, so we have no choice but to obey"_

 _After the screening they were herded into the building via a single door. As soon as the door was closed somebody started the machine with a single pull. The machine made a very loud roar continuously without delay or tire. But it was not enough to drown out the screams. It was unlike any other kind of scream, it was high-pitched scream only fatal wounds and the young that can create such a scream. The shrieking grew louder, even rivalling the angry roar of the machine nearby. The process was anything but painless and fast, for if that was the case the scream would've stopped._

 _Armin's face paled as he heard the scream. Unlike the death rattle of a soldier on a battlefield this one was much more horrifying to listen to. The screams has a special note that only the young and innocent has, which made the scream more painful toward the creator. No wonder they attached the ridiculously loud machine._

The cast's face was green, they were not accustomed to the violence and despair the world they just witnessed.

"Oh god, what they were doing in there?" Thomas said, horrified by the scream. "I can still hear them! Armin, do something!"

"Oh lord, what have we become?" Keith said to himself, horrified by the screams. "I understand if the screams were caused by the Titans, but to be caused by fellow human beings?"

"They're children in there!" Christa said, her eyes welling up with tears as the shrieks became louder. "Why? Why would they do that?"

"No wonder Armin became insane. Even I cannot stand those screams" Jean said, trying his best to not break in front of his crush.

"No, this can't be happening. Why? What good those it do for them to murder helpless women and children?" Mina said, her eyes wet with tears.

"You assume that they did it for a greater good. The way I see it their intent was anything but good in the first place." Reiner said; his face has a very dangerous look unseen by his friends.

"What about the men executing orders?" Annie said to herself. "That lyric of his earlier, it does raise a good question. What happen to the men if they were forced to perform a very sadistic and cruel order?"

"Oh god, what has the world has come to?" Connie yelled out in horror as the screams starts to die down. "How could the loving god allow such things? Call Levi Ackerman, because they have committed a war crime against those people!"

 **"They get what they deserved later on Connie. The Nuremberg trials has exposed this atrocity to the world and has brought justice to everybody who done this. Hitler died ironically by his own hand to prevent himself from fate worse than death from the Russian Army."**

 _The screams intensified even louder to the point that the brick starts to crack. A loud whistling was heard before the building collapsed, engulfing the whole area with yellow gas. The gas covers the whole screen before dissipating to reveal Armin in a whole new uniform. He also wears a strange mask with a tube attached at the mouth area._

 **"Another memory clash?"**

 _Armin has the same rifle behind him except it was longer and the colour was lighter, it also was missing its prevalent scope that the k98k has. The area where Armin was now was a barren field littered with dead bodies. Small craters dotted the field as Armin slowly strode across No Man's land._

 **"Oh fuck, WWI. Now where the hell he is this time?"**


	5. Chapter 4

_Armin then heard a whole different scream, this time it was of rage and desperation. Armin's eye widened as he heard the sound. He then breaks into a sprint as he ran toward the scream._

Everybody stiffened as they heard the familiar scream. "Connie?" Sasha said, surprised by the sound of it. Connie however was speechless, the drink he wanted to drink ends up spilling from his cup and pooling on his lap.

 _Armin reached is destination to see two soldier's lying on the ground. One was lying on her back while the other one was trying his best to wake her up. Armin gasped as he recognized the bald head of his old classmate. "Hey! It's Armin!"_

 _The man looked up to see Armin running toward him. The man was bald and he wore a pair of mask that consisted of simply a padded cloth tied by a string. His left eye was shut as blood trickles through the lid. His other eye however was red and in the verge of bleeding. "Armin! Help! Sasha isn't waking up!"_

 _Armin kneeled beside Connie and watched over the redhead who was lying static on the floor. Her eye was shut and thankfully not bleeding. Her expression was of peace. Armin checked for sign of life by checking for pulse as well as the eye. Armin's face was akin to a stone statue as he finished his checkup._

 _"She's sleeping. You better bring her back to your base before you both die from too much gas."_

 **"He's lying"**

Sasha's face was white as sheet. "Is-is that how I died?"

Annie shrugged. "At least she died peacefully"

Eren looked at Annie with a puzzled look on his face. "How do you know that she died peacefully?"

"I assumed so. She doesn't look too much in pain unlike Connie there" Annie replied.

"Can we not talk about her death for a second?" Connie said as he petted Sasha's back. "Look here, she was scared shitless as it is!"

 **"Fascinating, even before then you two really care about each other"**

"Of course, she's my best friend!" Connie said.

 _Connie smiled behind his mask, a hopeless smile it was, but a smile nonetheless. "Is that true Armin?"_

 _Armin nodded. "She's out cold. Better get her to fresh air as soon as possible"_

 _Connie grinned and then proceeds to pick up Sasha via fireman's carry. "Thanks bro! I owe you one!"_

 _"Wait!" Said Armin. "What about your eye?"_

 _"Fuck this eye!" Connie replied. "Sasha needs fresh air and I can't delay!"_

 _"You can't see shit with one bleeding eye Connie! At least let me clean that eye!"_

 _"Nope!" Connie said before running away._

 _"What a dumbass" Armin said underneath his breath. "At this rate he'll end up getting lost"_

 _The gas then subsides, revealing Armin back to his original post._

"That was jarring" Connie said. "I hope nothing worse comes after this."

 **"You do know that hope has a bad hands fighting against reality right?"**

 _The screams then stopped abruptly as if the gas chamber's entire inhabitant has their breath taken away at the same time. Armin shook his head, trying to see whether he's asleep or not. He pinched himself slightly at the arm. The pain was real, he was not dreaming. He was sent here to be part of the atrocity. May god have mercy on his soul._

 _The machine roared again, this time with a softer note as if it was mourning the senseless death it has instigated. The door was soon opened to let a group of prisoners in gas mask and protective gear to walk in. "They're prisoners taken from the blocks to clean up the chambers after every gassing" Said the blonde girl beside Armin. "We never let any of our soldier's touch the dead bodies."_

 _Another anguished roar appeared from the chamber. One of the guards walked nearer toward the door only for one of the prisoner who was tasked to clean the body to strike him at his face. The prisoner roared with clear anguish as he reared for another blow which never came as a single round from a nearby guard made contact with his cranium._

 _"That guy probably found his wife or sister somewhere in there. Poor guy" the Nazi girl said. "Heh, as if I gave a shit"_

The cast cringed at how emotionless the girl sounded, as if she has lost what's left of her empathy.

 _The girl smiled at Armin, her hopeless smile seems to fit with the bleak atmosphere of the concentration camp. "I'm Airin" Said the girl._

 _"Armin" Armin replied, glad that his attention was taken away from the massacre. The girl shrugged once more and spread he arms wide like she wanted to hug him._

 _"Welcome to Auschwitz"_


End file.
